BEET HARVESTER

• US 3,653,445 A
• Filed: 11/19/1970
• Issued: 04/04/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Andrew F. Barnes
• Original Assignee: Andrew F. Barnes
• Inventors: Barnes, Andrew F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Guida, Antonio F.
• Application Number:
  US05/090,901
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• Field of Search: 171/58,28,14,133,25,8 15/3.11
• US Class Current: 171/58
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 17/00 Digging machines with sieving and conveying mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 17/22 with several co-operating sifter bands
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 76/00 Haymakers with tines that are stationary with respect to the machine during operation but that may be liftable for dumping

Abstract

This invention is addressed to an improved beet harvester including a hugger chain assembly forming a forward hugger chain and a rearward hugger chain, each of which include a rising portion with the rising portions of each of the hugger chains being substantially parallel to thereby define a space therebetween adapted to receive beets in a pressure engagement to elevate and clean the beets, with the rear hugger chain including a conveyor portion which extends in a forward direction to receive beets removed from the ground by lifter wheels for feeding the beets so removed to the space defined by the rising portions of the hugger chains to further enhance the cleaning, and a grab roll bed communicating with the space between the rising portions of the hugger chains including at least two pair of driven rolls to further clean the beets fed to the grab rolls from the hugger chain assembly.

Claims

1. In a beet harvester including lifter wheel means for removing beets from the soil and paddle means for deflecting removed beets from the lifter wheels, the improvement comprising a hugger chain assembly including a continuous forward hugger chain and a continuous rear hugger chain, each of said hugger chains including a rising portion with the rising portions of each hugger chain being in a substantially parallel relation to define a space therebetween adapted to receive beets in pressure engagement to elevate and clean the beets as the rising portions of the hugger chains are advanced in a generally upward direction, the rear hugger chain including a conveyor portion which extends in a forward substantially horizontal direction adjacent to said paddle means to receive beets deflected thereby whereby beets deflected onto the conveyor portion are fed during the advancement of the hugger chains to the space defined by the rising portions of the hugger chains, and a grab roll bed communicating with the space between the rising portions of the hugger chains, said bed including at least two pair of rollers adapted to be driven to clean beets fed to the grab roll bed.

2. A harvester as defined in claim 1 which includes means to drive the forward hugger chain and the rear hugger chain.

3. A harvester as defined in claim 1 wherein the rising portions of the hugger chains extend in a substantially vertical direction.

4. A harvester as defined in claim 1 which includes means to constantly urge at least one of the rising portions of the hugger chains toward the other.

5. A harvester as defined in claim 4 wherein said means includes a biased roller.

6. A harvester as defined in claim 1 wherein the upper portions of the hugger chains define a pocket whereby the beets passed into the pocket are given a tumbling motion to enhance the cleaning of the beets.

7. A harvester as defined in claim 1 wherein the hugger chains are dimensioned to extend over substantially the entire width of the harvester.

8. A harvester as defined in claim 1 wherein the driven rollers of the grab roll bed extend in a direction transverse to the direction of flow of beets through the harvester over substantially the entire width thereof.

9. A harvester as defined in claim 1 wherein one driven roller of each pair of rollers contains a pattern on the surface thereof to enhance the cleaning action of the rollers.

10. A harvester as defined in claim 9 wherein the other roller is formed of a substantially smooth peripheral surface.

11. A harvester as defined in claim 1 whErein the driven roller of each pair are driven in opposite directions.

12. A harvester as defined in claim 11 wherein the driven rollers of each pair are driven in a direction toward the other roller of the pair.

13. A harvester as defined in claim 9 wherein said one driven roller contains a first portion having a substantially smooth peripheral surface and first spiral ridge means on said surface to distribute the beets over the bed and a second portion having a textured peripheral surface and second spiral ridge means on the textured surface, with the first and second spiral ridge means being formed of opposite spiral means.

14. A harvester as defined in claim 13 wherein each of the first and second spiral ridge means includes a reverse spiral at the outer edges thereof.

15. A harvester as defined in claim 2 wherein the forward and rear hugger chains are adapted to be driven at different speeds.

16. A harvester as defined in claim 2 wherein the forward hugger chain is adapted to be driven at a rate faster than that of the rear hugger chain.